Hardball: Five Killer Strategies for Trouncing the Competition
archive.today webpage capture Saved from history←priornext→ 17 Dec 2025 02:39:05 UTC All snapshots from host hbr.org WebpageScreenshot sharedownload .zipreport bug or abuseBuy me a coffee SKIP TO CONTENT Subscribe Sign In Decision Making And Problem Solving Hardball: Five Killer Strategies for Trouncing the Competition by George Stalk, Jr. and Rob Lachenauer From the Magazine (April 2004) Post Post Share Save Buy Copies Print Summary. Reprint: R0404C The winners in business play hardball, and they don’t apologize for it. They single-mindedly pursue competitive advantage and the benefits it offers: a leading market share, great margins, and rapid growth. They pick their shots, seek out competitive encounters, set the pace of innovation, and test the edges of the possible. Softball players, by contrast, may look good—they may report decent earnings and even get favorable coverage in the business press—but they aren’t intensely serious about winning. They don’t accept that you mus